We are so lucky to live in this country. Really, we are. It may be true that our government screws us over, or does the wrong thing from time to time, but our core rights can never be taken away from us. And after watching the horrible situation in Myanmar, formally known as Burma, this just confirms my point.
I could never imagine a moment in history when a group of Buddhist monks, indisputably one of the most peaceful sects of any religion on Earth, would be herded up like animals and beaten. These monks led a number of massive pro-democracy demonstrations in Myanmar in violation of the militaristic government, known as a junta. Monasteries were violated with the presence of guns. Shrines were desecrated in the hunt for dissenters. Those who were caught by the police were beaten with batons, kicked, smacked, punched and thrown into vehicles to be interrogated or who knows what else. It really was sickening to watch and still is.
The most interesting facet of the situation is a relatively unknown resurrection back in 1988, almost 20 years to date, and the same situation played out: demonstrators were rounded up and tortured or went missing. Over 3,000 people died, yet no one knew anything about it and the first democracy movement was filed on a shelf in a little corner in the junta's 40-plus year rule.
This time, however, all eyes are on Myanmar. Thanks to the advanced technology of video cameras, videophones and even Web sites like, yes, You Tube, the world can see truly horrid acts are taking place on unarmed people of faith and the peaceful crowds that follow them. This time, the United Nations gets to do something about it (yet I have little faith in the United Nations as I always have. To me, they are just a ceremonial institution with very little enforcement credibility).
But sadly, and in a cowardly fashion, the junta cut off the Internet in the entire country and forbid foreign journalists from crossing the border. They are spewing propaganda in their state-run television and newspapers, "The New Light of Myanmar," saying things like "We favor stability. We favor peace," and "We oppose unrest and violence," as reported in one Associated Press article. So these videos we see on CNN, MSNBC or FOX are all smuggled out by those who seek justice.
Sometimes I wonder if the brutes that carry out the acts of violence on the demonstrators secretly want to join the monks in a chance for democracy. It gets me to thinking about Nazi Germany and the regular John Does who only carried out orders of extermination for fear of their own lives. But again, the image of a monk with a bloodied face enters my mind, and I think anyone who hurts a person dedicated to non-violence, whether it be Buddhism or any other religion, is selfish, cruel and damned.
I do not think democracy will come to Myanmar in the near future. It is strategically in one of the worst places in the world to be a democracy, wedged between communist China, single-party Laos and a monarchy in Thailand. Although Myanmar also borders the parliamentary republics of India and Bangladesh, I do not see these two countries lending a helping hand to the pro-democracy movement. There is too much at stake for all the countries involved if a government change took effect. Economic ties would be adjusted, or even severed, with the neighboring nations. The sovereignty lines of the surrounding ocean may change. There also may be a mass exodus to the democratic country in the search for rights, which may provide as a scapegoat for more pro-democracy movements in Asian countries nearby and would, in turn, anger those governments to the point of another Tiananmen Square massacre.
Even if the main opposition leader to the junta, Aung San Suu Kyi, meets with the current government, I really do not think any concessions will be made to improve the quality of life for the people of Myanmar. The most that the world can do now is impose sanctions on the junta for their blatant disregard to human dignity. But even this will be hard to do as China and Russia have permanent seats on the Security Council.
It's wonderful to have the right to petition the government and peaceably assemble, if I may paraphrase the First Amendment. We do not have to fear the military while marching on Washington because we are exercising out rights the government protects those rights. Can you imagine the outbreak of violence like that in Myanmar happening here? It just cannot be fathomed …
Jennifer Prystupa is a Rutgers College sophomore, majoring in journalism and media studies and political science. Her column "Get Stupa-fied" runs on alternate Wednesdays.
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